Well, let me rephrase. I had a lesson in tuning my guitar, and then when I tried it on my own, without my teacher giving me second my second instructions, I got a little lost. I could hear that things weren’t quite right, but I didn’t know how exactly to get that “Wwowowowowowow” sound to stop!! AHH! I wanted that smooth tone to ring through, and to tell you the truth, I got a little frustrated and had to walk away.

I came back and committed to tuning in to the written instructions that my teacher had sent me. “Wow, this is going to take a lot of practice,” I thought.

DUH! Of course it would! It was a brand new skill– a behavior completely unfamiliar to me. I have an “ear” for notes. I’m a singer. So that helps. But knowing what strings to strike and what fret to finger (yikes) I’d need to repeat over and over until it becomes automatic and second nature. Was I willing to tune in to the tuning or tune it out and never have built the foundation I’d need to move forward with my guitar playing?!

I’m not one to throw in the towel when something gets challenging. Yes, I may need to step away for a spell and regroup, but I will come back and approach the task from a fresh perspective and a positive mindset. I can do this.

So often we tune out what we need to learn in order to be fully attuned to life. To reach new heights, to achieve our goals, we must be willing to practice tuning in. Like a radio dial, we may experience some static here and there, but we find our way back to the right frequency….with effort. My guitar…I think it’s a little off right now, and I recognize that (I’m in tune and aware that it’s not at its best), but I’ll go back and find those clear notes.

Tune in, guys.

Expect dissonance, and tune into it.

It doesn’t need to be a source of frustration or a sign to give up or tune out. More than anything it’s a signal to turn the knob to find the best frequency.

It might be a different channel from moment to moment, but it needs to be YOUR channel!

Don’t be afraid to grab a tuning fork when you need it too. Sometimes a guide is just what you need to bring you back into harmony.